IntroductionAccording to Biography.com, Leonardo da Vinci was born in the year 1452 in the town of Vinci. In his early age, as a boy, he developed a passion for nature drawing. His portraits were mostly paintings of religion and nature in a rather realistic manner. It took Leonardo da Vinci three years to complete the portrait of Mona Lisa. He took great pride in this particular work, so much so that he always carried it with him until his passing. After his death, the portrait was purchased by the King of France and is now kept in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The Mona Lisa portrait has been considered a renowned artistic masterpiece due to its unique drawing style that depicts Leonardo's artistic gifts that allowed him to translate his views on nature into subtle paintings with truly magnificent delicacy and finesse. The true identity of the woman in the Mona Lisa portrait remains a matter of intellectual discourse due to myriad theories that attempt to identify her. According to cracked.com, among the theories identified to identify the Mona Lisa are; that the woman was his supposed fiancée, Isabela of Aragon; who was his mother, Catherine; others claim that it was the female portrait of Leonardo da Vinci. However, the most accepted theory to explain Mona Lisa's identity was that she was the wife of a wealthy businessman from Florence, known as Lisa Gherardini. The portrait of the Mona Lisa has become famous for the mystique and mystery of the woman's facial expression. The woman expresses an enigmatic smile that is subject to various interpretations. Leonardo da Vinci's delicate mastery of tone and color in the painting also attracted much attention on...... middle of paper...... Vinci biography. Biography.com [online] available for access April 7, 2014Jansen, M. (2014). Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Paintings Abstract Art, [online] available at < http://leonardo-da-vinci.paintings.name/> accessed 7 April 2014. Sassoon, D. (2001) Why I think Mona Lisa became an iconic work of art, At the heart of the higher education debate. [online] available at http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/why-i-think-mona-lisa-became-an icon/164983. article accessed 7 April 2014Jaleel, A. (2010) . Painting Analysis – Mona Lisa – Leonardo da Vinci Blog by Asad123 [online] available at http://asad123.com/2010/10/02/painting-analysis-mona-lisa-leonardo-da vinci/ accessed 7 April 2014.Cracked, (n. d). The Mona Lisa. Cracked. [online] available at < http://www.cracked.com/funny-6797-the-mona-lisa/> accessed April 7, 2014

Topic > IntroductionAccording to Biography.com, Leonardo da Vinci was born in the year 1452 in the town of Vinci. In his early age, as a boy, he developed a passion for nature drawing. His portraits were mostly paintings of religion and nature in a rather realistic manner. It took Leonardo da Vinci three years to complete the portrait of Mona Lisa. He took great pride in this particular work, so much so that he always carried it with him until his passing. After his death, the portrait was purchased by the King of France and is now kept in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The Mona Lisa portrait has been considered a renowned artistic masterpiece due to its unique drawing style that depicts Leonardo's artistic gifts that allowed him to translate his views on nature into subtle paintings with truly magnificent delicacy and finesse. The true identity of the woman in the Mona Lisa portrait remains a matter of intellectual discourse due to myriad theories that attempt to identify her. According to cracked.com, among the theories identified to identify the Mona Lisa are; that the woman was his supposed fiancée, Isabela of Aragon; who was his mother, Catherine; others claim that it was the female portrait of Leonardo da Vinci. However, the most accepted theory to explain Mona Lisa's identity was that she was the wife of a wealthy businessman from Florence, known as Lisa Gherardini. The portrait of the Mona Lisa has become famous for the mystique and mystery of the woman's facial expression. The woman expresses an enigmatic smile that is subject to various interpretations. Leonardo da Vinci's delicate mastery of tone and color in the painting also attracted much attention on...... middle of paper...... Vinci biography. Biography.com [online] available for access April 7, 2014Jansen, M. (2014). Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Paintings Abstract Art, [online] available at < http://leonardo-da-vinci.paintings.name/> accessed 7 April 2014. Sassoon, D. (2001) Why I think Mona Lisa became an iconic work of art, At the heart of the higher education debate. [online] available at http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/why-i-think-mona-lisa-became-an icon/164983. article accessed 7 April 2014Jaleel, A. (2010) . Painting Analysis – Mona Lisa – Leonardo da Vinci Blog by Asad123 [online] available at http://asad123.com/2010/10/02/painting-analysis-mona-lisa-leonardo-da vinci/ accessed 7 April 2014.Cracked, (n. d). The Mona Lisa. Cracked. [online] available at < http://www.cracked.com/funny-6797-the-mona-lisa/> accessed April 7, 2014